I have the perfect excuse for you to plan a trip to Door County this month--as if you need an excuse.  the Perseid Meteor Shower.  My grand boys will be here so we're planning a camp out on the 13th to watch the show.

Not many of us will be privileged to travel into space, but we can enjoy the phenomenon of a meteor shower as it crosses the nighttime sky. Meteoroids are the debris flung from comets as they orbit the sun, a streak of light produced by the meteoroid as it reaches incandescence.

August brings a special show that will peak during the dark hours of August 12 to 13--the Perseids.

The Perseid meteor shower is so named because it appears to fall from the constellation Perseus that appears in the northeast sky in mid-August. This shower, which is produced by the space crumbs of the comet Swift-Tuttle, has been observed for almost 2000 years. The comet Swift-Tuttle takes about 130 years to make one trip around the sun.

The earliest recording of Perseid activity comes from the Chinese who documented the wonder in 36 AD. Some have referred to the Perseids as the “tears of St. Lawrence” since his feast day is August 10.

The best way to enjoy the Perseids is to leave the lights of the city and find a dark spot in a park or any safe area that is in the direction of the Perseus constellation (we have lots of these in the Door!). Make sure oncoming headlights will not ruin your night vision. Binoculars are not needed; your eyesight will be enough.

If you can’t manage your viewing on the magical night of the most activity, up to 60 meteors an hour, most viewers will be able to see at least a few from the beginning of the month up to August 22.

Have a great week and fantastic weekend!